My summer holiday is well planned out. Spending one month at a fancy guest house with my five cousins to prepare for Aunt Medrine's wedding.
The unexpected happens when Aunt Medrine tells us that we are spending the month with her fiancé's two nephe...
In the middle of our late dinner, Ellie walks out when her parents call. I watch her leave as she takes the stairs. After a few minutes I excuse myself, without missing Trent's suspicious glare, and follow after Ellie.
I find her in the backyard sitting at the edge of the swimming pool.
"Hey." I grab her attention and she faces me.
"Hey."
I settle beside her. I reach for her hand and she lets me. "Come here." I say and I pull her till her back is resting against my chest. She looks up to the roof, probably making sure that Trent isn't looking down at us but I honestly don't care.
"Do you think it's weird?" She turns and looks up into my eyes." That we share a birthday?"
"No, I think it's amazing. It's like fate brought us together." I respond and she giggles.
"You believe in fate?" She looks at me in surprise.
"What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing." She quickly says looking away but a second later, she throws her head back on my chest and laughs.
"Why are you laughing?" I nudge.
"The first time I saw you I thought you were cute and all but I never pictured you as the sentimental type." She confesses.
Forget everything else. She thinks am cute.
"So you think I'm cute, huh?" I tease.
"Did I say that out loud?" She asks. I smirk and nod my head.
"Sorry. It was just a mispronunciation." She pats my shoulder looking serious.
"Say it." I demand.
"Say what?" She smiles even when she knows what I want to hear her say.
"That you think I'm cute."
"No. I'm not saying that. I told you it was a mispronunciation." She is adamant.
"Say it or I'll kiss you." I threaten.
"And was that supposed to sound like a threat?" She scoffs.
I bend my head so close till I can feel her breath against my face. I close my eyes and remind myself of all the reasons as to why I shouldn't kiss her.
"Why do you keep doing that?" She pulls back and her eyes are blazing with fury.
"Doing what?"
"Stopping short everytime it seems like you are going to kiss me?"
"I have my reasons." I keep the details to myself.
"Like what?" She won't burge." Are you afraid of Trent?" That gives my ego a good kick.
"Ouch!" I exclaim and she laughs at my wounded ego." You know what? I think you need a bath."
I throw her into the pool and dodge when she tries to pull me in as well. She splashes water at me and I do my best to dodge it.
"Col help me out." She calls for me. She stretches her hand towards my direction. She dips her head in for a few seconds and emerges again like she is drowning.
I would have fallen for it but after all the similar pranks Nova has played, I am smart enough not reach anywhere close.
"Ellie I'm not falling for that." I chuckle. I hear Nova calling my name from the rooftop.
"Col. Your phone's ringing. It's dad." She shouts. Without a second thought, I run up stairs to pick my phone.
My dad? Calling at this time?
When I reach the rooftop, I find Nova talking to my dad and I gesture for her to pass on the phone to me.
Before I go to receive it Marissa asks." Where is Ellie?"
"Swimming" I reply. The silence that follows tells me that something's not right.
"What do you mean she's swimming?" Trent in on his feet now.
"Relax, man." I reassure Trent. I don't want to argue with him over Ellie right now." We were playing around and I threw her in the pool. No big deal."
Trent shoves me aside and takes off. The twins follow after him. I look at Marissa, her eyes are pooling. I wait for her explanation because I don't understand what is happening.
"Ellie...Col, she can't swim."
In just that one second my world caves in. Everything I know, everything that ever mattered in this moment is nothing. I hear the echo of Marissa's voice as I run down the stairs as fast as I can.
She can't swim.
I hear it as I into the backyard. I hear it as I see Trent bent over Ellie, feeling for her pulse. Trent is mumbling something but I can't quite hear it.
I stand frozen unable to get my feet to move as I watch Trent pinching Ellie's nose and covering her mouth with his, blowing air into her lungs.
Chest compressions follow. One, two, three then another breath into her lungs and more chest compressions.
I watch as tears run down Trent's cheeks but he doesn't quit. I watch as Lucas falls onto his knees and breaks down as he desperately holds onto Logan.
I want to move but I can't. I want to run and hold Ellie in my arms and beg her to breathe. Just one single breathe. My feet just can't move.
The paramedics come rushing across the patio as Trent steps aside. I don't even know who called for an ambulance.
As they cover her mouth with an oxygen mask, lifting her onto the stretcher, I hear Lucas ask if she is going to be okay and I hear the paramedic say something about needing medical attention.
Trent rides with Ellie in the ambulance and we follow behind in the car, Blake being the only person sane enough to drive.
I hear Marissa and Nova's cries. I don't even notice when we get to the hospital or how they get to the waiting room. It's like I am having a very bad dream.
Thirty minutes later when the doctor gives us the okay to go in and see her, I am still not fazed.
But when we walk into the hospital room and see her on the bed, an oxygen mask over her mouth, machines beeping, monitoring, all understanding comes into place.
The state of shock I was in starts wearing off and intense pain takes it's place. I physically feel my heart breaking.
There on a hospital bed, her face pale, her hair wet, unconscious, is my girl.
She is there and there is nothing I can do about it and it is my fault.
I take the seat in the corner of the room and watch as they give Ellie their full attention, whispering to her. Begging her to be okay.
I watch them leave the room till its just me and her and I cover my face with my hands and break down.
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